DJ E-Z Rock of 'It Takes Two' fame dies at 46

DJ E-Z Rock, who teamed with Rob Base for the 1988 smash It Takes Two, died Sunday. A cause of death for the hip-hop pioneer has not been revealed. He was 46.

Born Rodney "Skip" Bryce, E-Z Rock and Base both grew up in Harlem, releasing their first single, DJ Interview, in 1986. The two soon signed to Profile Records, where they had their biggest success with It Takes Two, a track that sampled the James Brown-produced Lynn Collin's 1972 hit Think (About It) and featured the couplet "It takes two to make a thing go right/It takes two to make it outta sight." It Takes Two, a rare Top 40 hit during the 1980s, would subsequently be sampled by Snoop Dogg, Gang Starr, Girl Talk and many others.

Base and Rock's It Takes Two yielded two other hits, Joy and Pain and Get on the Dance Floor, and eventually would be certified platinum. The pair also collaborated on the 1994 album Break of Dawn.

Rob Base announced Rock's death on Twitter Sunday, calling him his friend and brother. Biz Markie and several other hip-hop acts have expressed their condolences online.